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>> Monday, November 30, 2009

Dasakam: 8 --Mahapralaya or The Great Deluge

Before creation took place we had a concept of TIME,as it is computed in our Puranas.360 human years constitute one year for the Gods(Divine year or "Divya Varsha").12,000 such divine years form a "Chatur Yuga"or "Maha Yuga" A "Chatur Yuga" or "Mahayuga"consists of four Yugas (ages) put together. The four yugas are:Krita Yuga--4800 divine years,Treta Yuga--3600 divine years,Dwapara Yuga--2400 divine years andKali Yuga--1200 divine years.Total = 12,000 divine years with 43,20,000 human years. 71 such Maha Yugas/Chatur Yugas make a "MANVANTARA".

14 such Manvantaras are clubbed together to form a "KALPA"We are today living in the seventh Manvantara,known as"Vaivaswata Manvantara".The 14 Manvantaras that go into the makingof a Kalpa constitute just one day for Brahma. Brahma is our mythological God of creation. At the end of his day, Brahma goes to sleep during his night.His night extends for the same period as his day,i.e. the same time for a Kalpa.During this night, there is no 'creation' activity and it is called a "Naimittika Pralaya. Brahma gets up again for his next day or Kalpa. 360 such days or Kalpas of Brahma make one year for him.In this manner a Brahma lives for his 100 years.

Before Creation started, there was Mahapralaya or the Great Deluge. During this period, there was no Universe. At the end of the Pralaya lasting for 100 years of Brahma,there was a will for Creation.

At the end of the Prakrit Pralaya, in the first Kalpa which is known as Braahma Kalpa, Brahmaa came into existence. He got the knowledge of the Vedas from Thee alone and began creation in the same way as in the previous Kalpas.

One thousand Chaturyugaas make one day for this Brahma, and an equal duration is his night. During his day time he creates and at night he sleeps, Hence his night is known as Naimittika Pralaya when along with his creation he merges in Thee. Thus he spent many days and nights.

As each day begins, with Thy blessing Brahma goes on with the act of creation, as we perform our daily rituals at dawn. For those who were born before the Braahma Kalpa also wake up at the dawn of the new Kalpa after a long night's sleep.

O Infinite Being! Brahmaa ruling over the present cycle has now completed fifty years of his life,which is known as one paraardha. I shall now narrate Thy sportive activities during the previous night of Brahma and at the beginning of the next morning of the present paraardha. .(Our 1000x4 yugas = 1 day of Brahma Kalpa, and similarly, our 1000x4 yugas = 1 nightof Brahma Kalpa. Our 2000x4 yugas =1 day + 1 night of Brahma. 360 days (includingnights) of Brahma = 1 year of Brahma. 100 years of Brahma = Brahma's full age whichis the duration of the great deluge also.)

When the entire universe was enveloped in water, Thou being the soul of complete bliss, resting on Adisesha (King of serpents),who is another manifestation of Thee,became deeply immersed in yoga nidraa, in a state of pure bliss

Dasakam: 008 -- Shlokam: 07

kaalaakhya shaktiM pralayaavasaane

prabOdhayetyaadishataa kilaadau |

tvayaa prasuptaM parisuptashaktivrajena

tatraakhila jiivadhaamnaa ||

Thou resorted to sleep with all the various energies and the jeevas merged in Thee.All the Jivas merge in the Lord at the time of sleep,even as all our thoughts, anxieties and worries merge in the Bliss that is 'myself' when we sleep.At the end of the Pralaya the power of "Time"awakens the Lord as it awakens us from our sleep.Thou commanded Thy power which is called Time to awaken Thee at the end of the deluge (Pralaya). Then, at the beginning of the Pralaya.

Dasakam: 008 -- Shlokam: 08

चतुर्युगाणां च सहस्रमेवं

त्वयि प्रसुप्ते पुनरद्वितीय

कालाख्यशक्ति: प्रथमप्रबुद्धा

प्राबोधयत्त्वां किल विश्वनाथ ॥८॥

chaturyugaaNaaM cha sahasramevaM

tvayi prasupte punaradvitiiye |

kaalaakhya shaktiH prathama prabuddhaa

praabOdhayattvaaM kila vishvanaatha ||

Oh Viswanatha ! It is said that Kalashakthi or the force of Time, awakened Thee afterThou had slept for a thousand fourfold yugas

Oh Lord who were lying in the ocean bed ! On awakening Thou threw a collective glance at all the worlds merged in Thyself.

Dasakam: 008 -- Shlokam: 10

ततस्त्वदीयादयि नाभिरन्ध्रा

-
दुदञ्चितं किंचन दिव्यपद्मम् ।

निलीननिश्शेषपदार्थमाला-

संक्षेपरूपं मुकुलायमानम् ॥१०॥

tatastvadiiyaadayi naabhirandhraaduda~

nchitaM kinchana divyapadmam |

niliina nishsheSha padaartha maalaa

sanksheparuupaM mukulaayamaanam ||

Then, O Lord! His 'glance within', or in simple language "wills "to start 'creation' all over again. Then there comes out of the Lord's navela lotus bud of great brilliance. There emerged from Thy naval hole a wonderful divine lotus in the form of a bud, containing in subtle form all the worlds that remained merged in Thee. This lotus bud contains the seed of all previous entities.

O Supreme Lord of incomprehensible powers, in this age known as the Paadma Kalpa, Thou thus brought into existence the Creator Brahmaa. O Lord Vishnu! Who has manifested in the temple of Guruvaayur, please eradicate my ailments.

Peethambaram karavirajitha sankuchakra

kaumodaki sarasijam karunasamudram,

Radha sahayamathisundara mandhahasam,

vathalayesamanisam hrudi bhavayami!

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The Narayaneeyam, a great Sanskrit epic, is a brilliant condensation in 1036 shlokams (stanzas) of the great epic Bhaagavatham composed by Sage Vyaasa. The theme of Narayaneeyam is based on the stories in Bhagavatham; it is, almost, an epitome of the great Purana. But unlike Vyasa, who has introduced in the first 'Skandha' itself, the speaker (Sree Suka Brahmarshi) and the listener (Emperor Pareekshith), the poet himself is the speaker in Narayaneeyam, who sings before the Lord Guruvayurappan, in a sublime tune about His glories and prays to Him to bless him to be cured of his disease.

Narayaneeyamis divided into 100 Dasakams, most of which comprise ten shlokams (verses) each - with a few of them running into 11, 12 or 13 verses; the maximum number being 15 verses in Dasakam 4, and a solitary Dasakam (Dasakam 65) comprising 9 verses. The final verse of every Dasakam concludes with an invocation to the Lord of Guruvayur to cure him of all his illnesses and protect him from all afflictions and sorrows. In all, the Narayaneeyam consists of 1034 verses. Some versions include two extra verses at the end of Dasakam 45, making a total of 1036 verses.